Joaquina Kalukango

Joaquina Kalukango plays Anita in the Encores! production of Jelly’s Last Jam at New York City Center from February 21 to March 3.

A Julliard graduate, Kalukango was Tony-nominated in 2020 for playing Kaneisha in Slave Play. She received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her role as Nelly O’Brien in the musical Paradise Square in 2022, and she played The Witch in Into the Woods on Broadway later that year.

Further stage credits include Nettie in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple (with Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson), Holler if Ya Hear Me, Godspell, and Hurt Village, which earned her another Drama Desk Award nomination.

On screen, Kalukango was a 2021 SAG Award nominee for Cast in a Motion Picture for her role as Betty X in One Night in Miami. Further TV credits include a recurring role on the HBO series Lovecraft Country, Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series When They See Us, and Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia.